UNIVERSITY of Technology (Unitech) Vice- Chancellor (VC) Misty Baloiloi does not want to publicly answer his critics and prefers instead to let others speak for him.
Dr Baloiloi has been under pressure over the past month to give press interviews, but he had steadfastly refused them.
Yesterday, however, Dr Baloiloi was forced to respond to criticisms “of a personalised nature”.
He was also considering legal action against his critics who had levelled “a tirade of accusations” against his administration.
This placed “undue stress on my innocent children and family,” he said.
On questions about his academic qualifications, Dr Baloiloi referred the critics to the registrar.
A minute to notify the Unitech staff was sent out last year, informing that he had been conferred a doctorate in philosophy by Monash University in Melbourne last December.
His thesis was on strategic planning in the context of governance.
Dr Baloiloi denied outright that he had two cars and he was living in two houses.
He said he used one car and cannot live in the official residence because “it is very close to what has now become a major bus stop outside the Unitech gate”.
“The noise and the pedestrian behaviour has turned it into a home that is not conducive to rest after a hard day’s work,” he said.
A Unitech employee is currently the caretaker of the official residence.
Dr Baloiloi, as a facilitator of the 7 Habits Franchise, said all funds were managed by the Unitech Development Company (UDC) and he could not access any for his personal use.
He said the trip allegedly made in 2006 to Australia to continue his PhD was from his consultancy trust funds at the UDC.
“It is common practice that those of us in the academia must continue to pursue studies to keep abreast with the advancement of knowledge,” he said.
Dr Baloiloi spent five years, working on his thesis while being the chief executive officer of Unitech, spending three years at Monash and further three months at the Australian National University on a reading fellowship.
He took three weeks of approved leave (two in February and one in November) to read his thesis.
“I have spent only 6% and not 70% in 2007 for my thesis,” he said.